Kennedy dismisses 'grassroots revolt'

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy today hit back at claims that grassroots activists were signing up to an internet petition calling for him to go.

The Liberal magazine, which is not connected to the party, claims to have accumulated several thousand signatures calling for Mr Kennedy to quit.

On BBC Radio 4's The World At One, he was asked why one in 12 local councillors was willing to sign up.

Mr Kennedy replied: "I would be very surprised if that were the case; let me put it no stronger than that, very surprised indeed.

"If these things can be verified, then frankly people can come on programmes and make all kinds of outrageous claims, particularly when they have no connection with the party.

"I don't think I should be paying, or the Liberal Democrats should be paying, any more attention to this than if it was coming from the Labour party or the Conservatives as a criticism."

He said that 90% of messages which the Liberal Democrats had received on the subject were in support of him.

"I think that's a good deal more reliable than some freelance activity and who knows who these people are, whether they're Liberal Democrats or not?" he added.

Mr Kennedy again reiterated that he was "certainly not" going to go.

But the editor of the Liberal, Ben Ramm, called for Mr Kennedy to step down "as soon as possible".

Describing a broad range of people who had backed the petition, he added: "We have grassroots activists, councillors, those within Cowley Street [Liberal Democrat HQ] itself.

"They come from across the country and seemingly from what would be called left and right."

But Mr Kennedy denied that he was worried that the rumours about his future could destabilise him.

And he issued a challenge to any MPs who had been briefing that his position is unsustainable: "Well, if they feel that, let them come on The World At One and discuss it."

He was speaking after senior Liberal Democrat MP and former deputy leader Alan Beith said the new year would provide an opportunity to consider whether Mr Kennedy was up to leading the party to the next general election.

Mr Beith told the programme: "One of the things that the New Year will bring will be the opportunity to assess which way British politics is going, what the real impact of changes and future changes in the leadership of the other two parties might be, whether our own leader is really there and ready to take us through to the next general election with the really considerable effort that's going to be required for that."

Mr Kennedy was asked whether this was a coded way for saying he should consider his position.

He denied this, saying Mr Beith was "not that kind of politician" before describing him as "one of the most respected and valued and, for me, trusted" members of the party.

Mr Kennedy also faced questions after David Walter, the party's former director of communications, described the last election as "a bit of a missed opportunity" on the programme.

But he said of Mr Walter, a Lib Dem candidate at the last election, that "nobody as a candidate could have been more upbeat about how positive the message was coming through".